Jennifer Paulett

Jennifer Paulett is Director of Corporate Citizenship at ESPN, where she works on youth sports access, social-impact storytelling, nonprofit grants, and ESPN/Disney initiatives such as Take Back Sports.

ESPN Opens $10,000 Grant Round for Youth Sports Innovation

ESPN’s Jennifer Paulett used the Project Play Summit 2026 to frame Take Back Sports as a participation-first youth sports initiative, arguing that the goal is more children playing in safe, positive environments rather than a pipeline for elite athletes. Paulett said ESPN and Disney will open a second round of the Take Back Sports Innovation Challenge, offering $10,000 grants to summit organizations with 30 days to apply.

The Aspen InstituteMay 21, 20263 min read